Chicken fighting

[trainers]

Ive recently introduced 2 new chickens to my existing 4 who have been with me just over a year. I realise that there would be some fighting as the pecking order is re-established, however, they seem to torment them constantly leaving them either behind the chicken house or on top of it. It's been 3 days now and last night I found them huddled behind the house after dark. They seem to be laying and I ensure they get enough food and water. I try to give them some relief by letting the others out in the garden. Will this sort itself out or simply carry on?

[jake-the-peg]

We had a couple of new chickens, it took a few months to settle down. Fortunately though we have 2 arks and they had one each. Can you construct another? perhaps a temporary one of cardbaord with PVA glue coating to give it a bit of waterpoofing?or something like that?

[wildwood]

or, is it possible to fence the new ones separate with some wire netting so they can be seen by the old flock? Throw some wheat or whatever you feed close to the wire netting so the chooks have to eat close by each other. You'll see by the behaviour when they have been accepted. Even then, there may be some squabbling when you remove the wire, but not as bad.

In the days when we kept a rooster there was very little trouble introducing new hens. He had his evil way within 5 seconds and if the other hens chased the new one he would sort it out. Normal squabbling is ok to establish who is the second in charge etc.

As a peculiar observation... When a new rooster was introduced because the older one graced out dinner table, the second in charge hen usually lost her status too and could easily end up third or forth in line.

Then there was this little bantam rooster who had the ego of an buffalo.... but that's another story.

[wolf63]

As someone who thinks that the only good chicken is a roast chicken I found it sad that the new chickens were having a hard time integrating into the 'flock'. I could picture their sad little faces as they huddled together in the dark.

I hope that things settle down and they start to get on or even become friends.